Introduction: Greatness, wonder, and story -- Part I: Evil. The good that evil does ; Evil and the characters ; Evil and the Ring in LOTR ; Evil and truth in BK ; Evil and love ; Evil and good as objective realities ; Evil's weakness ; Evil and the past -- Part II: Good. Courage and heroism ; Wisdom ; Justice ; Moderation and humility ; Faith ; Hope ; Charity -- Conclusion: The issue of the nature of man

"In this philosophical exploration, Peter Kreeft argues that The Lord of the Rings and The Brothers Karamazov are not just two of the greatest novels but simply the greatest two--and not primarily because of their distinct plots, characters, settings, and styles, but because of the metaphysical, anthropological, and moral themes that unite them. Examining the writers' treatments of good and evil, power and weakness, and virtue and vice, Kreeft shows how both Tolkien and Dostoevsky, by writing with the mind of Christ, reveal the deepest truths of reality"--Flap page 1 of cover